Acne lotion

I have previously written about the properties of marigold and included an acne lotion recipe from James Wong (from his TV series Grow Your Own Medicines). For the lotion, Wong used marigold, lavender and geranium extract, which he thickened with vegetarian gelatin.

This summer I decided to test Wong's recipe with a few modifications.  

Here is my recipe:

Harvest 12 fresh marigold flower heads, equal quantity of fresh oregano flowers, and equal quantity of chopped scented geranium leaves (any scented geranium will do). Cover with 250 milliliters of boiling water, steep for 10 minutes. Blend the mixture, strain, add a few drops of tea tree essential oil and 5 Tbsp. of vodka. The lotion will be kept in the refrigerator for maximum of six weeks.  

I did not add gelatin to the lotion; I may try using arrowroot instead, and let you know if it works.The substitution of oregano for lavender flowers should not affect the potency, as oregano itself has very powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

My daughter and I just started using the lotion. In six weeks we will know if there is any effect.

July 4th 2016 Garden

Whereas my tomato plants have miserably failed (eaten by deer, groundhogs, rabbits and who knows what else), my flowers are still blossoming.

 







 I guess, if I want to eat anything from my garden, I need a fence.

Marigolds...need to propagate more and put my own advice to the test

Different colors scabiosa flowers

An orange poppy and white scabiosa

Some of the wild flower seeds yielded gorgeous (yet unidentified by me) flowers

More flowers to identify...

Flowering sedum Angelina

Sedum purple carpet

HERBS AND SPICES: MARIGOLD

Marigold 
[Calendula officinalis]

Marigold (pot marigold, garden marigold) flowers contain saponins, flavonoids, triterpenes, and even some salicylic acid. 

Grow
In zone 5 of U.S. (my corner of the world) marigold is an annual plant. Last summer, I bought a pack of seeds for several marigold varieties and seeded them throughout the garden. The plants grew everywhere – in sun and partial shade, in moist and dry soils. If I can grow these flowers, anyone else can grow them too. The marigolds were the last flowers in my fall garden, blooming even after the chrysanthemums started fading.
 
Harvest and storage
During the summer, harvest the flowers as soon as they open, best on a sunny day before 11 A.M. The more you harvest, the more flowers the plants will produce. Pinch off  the flower heads by hand or use scissors. According to the advice of this website, the flowers should not be washed, but spread face down on a dishtowel, a sheet, or an old window screen, and kept out of direct sunlight. The flowers are completely dry when they crumble between your fingers into a powder. You could shorten the drying process by using only the petals (not the whole flower head). Once the flowers are completely dry, store in jars in a dark place.

Medicinal uses
Calendula flower preparations are safe to apply topically (to the skin). The flowers are with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties; therefore, they are used for burns, cuts, bruises, rashes, bee stings, and other wounds. The wound healing properties of the plant are so powerful that during the Civil War, calendula leaves were used by doctors to treat open wounds. Additional uses are these for eczema, inflammation of the lining of the eyelid (conjunctivitis, "pink eye"), diaper rash, hemorrhoids, dermatitis, and otitis (ear infection). Mouth rinses with calendula may decrease plaque and gum pockets.
Internally, calendula flowers have been used to prevent muscle spasms and menstrual cramps, start menstrual periods, alleviate gastritis and stomach ulcers, reduce fever, and treat sore throat. In some countries, calendula is used to alleviate the symptoms in inoperable cancer cases. Internal applications should be carefully controlled, since some sedatives (clonazepam, lorazepam, phenobarbital, zolpidem, etc.) interact with Calendula. Therefore, the internal use of the flowers may cause excessive drowsiness and have other side effects. Other medications that may interact with calendula are medications for high blood pressure and diabetes.
For some of the skin conditions mentioned above, try the Calendula Herbal Oil recipe of Mountain Rose: to a glass jar of wilted (for 12 or more hours) or completely dry flowers add olive oil to cover the flowers by at least 1” of oil. Stir, cap, place the jar in a sunny windowsill, and shake once a day for 4-6 weeks. Strain through cheesecloth and store in a cool dark place. It is essential that the flowers do not have any moisture to prevent bacterial contamination from developing.
For healing wounds, try the calendula salve recipe also from Mountain Rose with lavender essential oil and beeswax. The same website includes recipes for a lip balm, calendula spray, and compress.
 
Cosmetic uses
Acne lotion
James Wong demonstrated this recipe in his TV series Grow Your Own Medicines (sometimes available on YouTube). For this lotion, James Wong used 12 fresh marigold flower heads, equal quantity of fresh lavender flowers, and equal quantity of chopped geranium leaves (any scented geranium is suitable). The plant material was covered with 250 milliliters of boiling water and steeped for 10 minutes only. The mixture was blended, strained, and thickened with vegetarian gelatin (e.g., carrageen, 25 g and 2 Tbsp. water). The final touch was to add a few drops of tea tree essential oil and 5 Tbsp. of vodka. The lotion lasts for six weeks, if kept in the refrigerator.
More recipes for cosmetic and other uses of marigold are listed on these two websites: Annie’s Remedy and Herbal Academy of New England.

Cooking with marigold
Pot marigold flowers are edible and could be added fresh to salads. For more ideas on how to incorporate calendula in salsas, scrambled eggs, and frittatas, look at these delicious meals prepared with marigolds. As the website mentions, flowers can be dried and added to soups and stews in the winter. 
Calendula tea is made with 1 teaspoon of dried flowers steeped in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes. 
The Backyard Patch Herbal Blog also has recipes for sweet calendula buns and even calendula wine!
 
Resources  
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-235-calendula.aspx?activeingredientid=235&activeingredientname=calendula
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/calendula
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendula
https://www.internationalintegrative.com/articles/herb-profile-calendula-pretty-powerful 
https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/calendula http://mountainroseblog.com/healing-calendula/ http://chestnutherbs.com/calendula-sunshine-incarnate-an-edible-and-medicinal-flower/
http://www.anniesremedy.com/chart_remedy.php?oil_ID=145
http://www.thepracticalherbalist.com/holistic-medicine-library/calendula-sunny-wound-healer/
http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/soothing-calendula
http://www.rootsimple.com/2011/03/harvesting-and-drying-calendula/
http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2012/02/herb-of-week-calendula-or-pot-marigold.html